hiatus

noun

hi·a·tus | \ hī-ˈā-təs

Definition of hiatus

1a : a break in or as if in a material object : gap the weedy hiatus between the town and the railroad— Willa Cather the hiatus between the theory and the practice of the party— J. G. Colton

b biology : a gap or passage in an anatomical part or organ

2a : an interruption in time or continuity : break especially : a period when something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted after a 5-year hiatus from writing a summer hiatus

b : the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about hiatus

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Did You Know?

Hiatus comes from "hiare," a Latin verb meaning "to gape" or "to yawn," and first appeared in English in the middle of the 16th century. Originally, the word referred to a gap or opening in something, such as a cave opening in a cliff. In the 18th century, Laurence Sterne used the word humorously in his novel Tristram Shandy, writing of "the hiatus in Phutatorius's breeches." These days, "hiatus" is usually used in a temporal sense to refer to a pause or interruption (as in a song), or a period during which an activity is temporarily suspended (such as a hiatus from teaching).

Examples of hiatus in a Sentence

The band is making an album again after a five-year hiatus. steam was rising from an hiatus in the ground

Recent Examples on the Web

But fans of the band need not worry quite yet: The hiatus won't come until this summer. — Chelsea Brasted, NOLA.com, "Eyeing hiatus after nearly 2 decades, Lost Bayou Ramblers win 1st Grammy," 28 Jan. 2018 This news, first reported by TMZ, comes after Gomez decided to take a hiatus from social media. — D. Elizabeth, Allure, "Selena Gomez Is Reportedly Getting Treatment Following an "Emotional Breakdown"," 11 Oct. 2018 The show took a hiatus from 1976 to 1979 but returned partly because Rogers was so disturbed by news reports of children injuring themselves while pretending to be superheroes. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "The Quietly Radical Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," 4 June 2018 The actor, who’s making his big screen comeback after a near five year hiatus, turned 55 on Friday. — Mike Miller, PEOPLE.com, "Mike Myers Is Enjoying the 'Happiest Time' of His Life at 55 and Wants to Do Austin Powers 4," 25 May 2018 After a one-year hiatus, Mr. Howard returned as the Enquirer’s editor in chief before taking on oversight of all the company’s gossip titles in his current role. — Lukas I. Alpert, WSJ, "From Bezos to Dr. Phil, the Enquirer Turns to Bare Knuckle Tactics," 15 Feb. 2019 Following a five-year hiatus, the Pistol Annies finally released a new record—and their searing lyrics and soaring harmonies were worth the wait. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Who Are the Pistol Annies? Everything You Need to Know About Miranda Lambert's Band," 13 Nov. 2018 The standoff over the Italian budget has revived concerns about the future of the eurozone after a three-year hiatus and in the wake of Greece’s exit from its bailout programs. — Pan Pylas, The Seattle Times, "Eurozone economy slows to its weakest level in 4 years," 30 Oct. 2018 Former Orlando Predators quarterback and local high school football coach Collin Drafts is relaunching the Orlando QB Shootout after a two-year hiatus. — J.c. Carnahan, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando QB Shootout returns to West Orange July 7 after lengthy layoff," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hiatus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

8 May 2019

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The first known use of hiatus was in 1563

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More Definitions for hiatus

hiatus

noun

English Language Learners Definition of hiatus

: a period of time when something (such as an activity or program) is stopped

See the full definition for hiatus in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hiatus

noun

hi·a·tus | \ hī-ˈāt-əs

Medical Definition of hiatus

: a gap or passage through an anatomical part or organ especially : an opening through which another part or organ passes (such as the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus and vagus nerves pass)